Words and Movement
by superwho-rhi
Summary: (Sequel to Thoughts and Actions)


I walk up to apartment number four, arm loaded with a full brown paper bag. I raise my hand to knock, but then stop. I let out a small chuckle as I reach into my pocket and pull out the silver key. Thankfully, the door unlocks with ease. "Steve?" I yell out as I enter. I'm met with silence though. After setting the bag down in the kitchen, I peek around the apartment, just to make sure he wasn't there. I grab the bag and head into the kitchen to start making dinner. A few minutes later, I hear the front door open. Bringing up my block, I listen but am met with silence. A little smile slips onto my face as I confirm who it is. "Yes, using the key to get into your apartment is just as weird as I said it would be."

"You used it anyways," Steve says behind me. I turn around to see him leaning against the entryway to the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, next time you better be home," I say, turning back around to face the stove. "Just weird," I mumble. A second later I feel him standing behind me before leaning forward and planting a kiss on my temple. "Let me guess…you were at the Smithsonian again?" He doesn't say anything, so I turn around to face him.

"Yeah," he says, nodding his head. "It just…"

"I know," I say, nodding my head. I bring a hand up and let it rest on the side of his face. Despite that it had been almost a year since he was found in the ice…he was still having a hard time coming to terms with everything he lost. He lets out a sigh before giving my hand a light touch and then walking over to the table and sitting down to read the newspaper. Once he's sat down, I turn back around to continue cooking.

Yes, me and Steve are dating…or going steady as he called it. I should've seen it coming, taking off with him on the back of the Harley. After the New York incident, we both relocated to Washington, D.C. There was a SHIELD headquarters there so that we could carry out missions when we wanted or were needed. But mainly, we just existed. We acted as normal as we could. I was still catching Steve up on the times. We even went to visit Aunt Peggy once, who is living out her days at an Alzheimer's home in England. It was a tough visit…mainly for Steve. After that visit is when he asked me to go steady. Somehow, within the last month or so, the tables had flipped and Steve seemed to be the one helping me adjust to life away from SHIELD. Over half my life had been spent working solely for them…a mission every week, sometimes two or three. "Did you call Natasha today?" Steve asks. I slide the steaks into the oven before going over to sit down at the table beside him.

"No I did not," I say, giving him a smile. He folds the newspaper and sits it back down on the table. "Congrats to me, it has been a week since I called her for a mission."

Steve lets out a chuckle as he smiles back at me. "Yes, congrats to you," he says. "So what did you do today then?"

"Well, get ready for a shock but I actually got a job…of sorts," I say.

"Really?" he says, astonished look on his face.

"Yeah," I say. I stand up and step over to the stove and stir the contents of a couple different pots before continuing. "I was at the library, just trying to find a book to read, thinking that would help keep me distracted. When I went up to check out, I overheard the librarian talking to another lady there about how they were going to have to cancel some read to the children program and before I realized what I was doing, I volunteered."

"Reading to kids?" he says, raising an eyebrow at me.

"A couple times a week," I say, nodding my head. He continues to stare at me, eyebrow raised. "What? I like kids…their minds are so innocent. Look, I read to some today, just to make sure I liked it and this one little girl spent the entire time imagining me as a princess. And another little boy was wondering if another little girl in the group would let him kiss her on the cheek. Innocence…I think it's what I need a little dose of."

"I wasn't saying you wouldn't like it," he says, leaning forward and wrapping his hands around mine. "I was just taken by surprise is all."

"Good," I say. I stand up and lean over the table, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "I like to know I can still surprise you every now and then."

"He gave you a key to his apartment?" Natasha says looking at me with an impressed look.

"Yeah," I say, nodding my head. We were currently on a flight to release some hostages for a mission. "A couple weeks ago."

"Isn't that basically him asking you to move in with him?" she raises an eyebrow at me.

_I'm so glad Steve wasn't needed for this job. _"No, Nat," I say. "He's old fashioned…they didn't do that back in his time. Besides, you know I don't believe in that."

"See that's why you too are so perfect for each other," she says, double checking the guns in her holsters. "You two can do the 'old-fashioned' thing and leave all the other guys for me."

I look back at her and raise an eyebrow. "How's Barton doing?" I knew that would rile her up. Her face goes blank. I knew that they had a fling going on, but neither talked out loud about it. I give her a snarky smile as the back hatch of the jet opens. "You'd think you'd learn not to chastise the mind-reader Romanoff."

"Your floor clear?" I ask into my earpiece.

"Yeah," Natasha says. "Got the hostages. Plus something you might want to see."

"What?" I say back, furrowing my brow. "Later, get back up to the roof. Jet is two minutes out." She responds back her confirmation. I grab the hostage I had rescued under the arm and lead him to the stairwell. We make it up to the roof only moments before Natasha does with her hostage. A second later, the jet touches down and we file in. "Alright, what is it I need to see?" She hands me a paper file that she had stuck into her belt. She doesn't say anything as I open it. After looking at the first page, I look up at her, my blood running cold. "Where the hell did you find a file about me?"


End file.
